


Guard Town Adventures

by Sunny_Beanz



Category: The Old Guard (Movie 2020)
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Powers, Childhood rivals to friends to lovers to more, Friends that battle together are the best, Gen, It's my AU I make the rules, Pokemon AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-23
Updated: 2021-02-23
Packaged: 2021-03-14 01:41:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,954
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29660514
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sunny_Beanz/pseuds/Sunny_Beanz
Summary: The Pokémon AU nobody asked for, in which we see rivalries, friendships, softness, Pokémon raising and the rise ( and subsequent fall ) of Team Pharma.
Relationships: Andy | Andromache of Scythia/Quynh | Noriko, Joe | Yusuf Al-Kaysani/Nicky | Nicolò di Genova
Comments: 7
Kudos: 14





	1. Author Notes

_**Who is who?** _

_**The Elite Seven;** _

  * _Andromache 'Andy' Scythian – native of Arcphia City, second gym leader and co-owner of the Guard Town battle caf_ _é_ _._ _Oldest of the group._ _Has a preference for intimidating-looking Pok_ _émon, but has been known to stop to talk to many fluffier creatures on her way to places._

    * _Main team is Absol (f), Weavile (f), Dragonite (m), Arcanine (f), Gyarados (f) & Blaziken (m)._

  * _Lykon Freeman – native of Guard Town, cousin of Nile, sixth gym leader and volunteer at the Pokécentre. Almost always smiling, incredibly good with people and Pokémon alike. Shares a birthday with Quynh._

    * _Main team is Kangaskhan (f), Snorlax (m), Persian (m), Castform (f), Fearow (m) & Herdier (f)._

  * _Nicolò 'Nico' di Genova – native of Fiorto City, childhood rival & husband of Joe, joint fourth gym leader. Semi-professional Eevee breeder. Is currently conducting research into new evolutionary lines for Eevees, using various environmental factors. _

    * _Main team is Umbreon (m), Vaporeon (f), Leafeon (m), Glaceon (f), Eevee (also known as Stella, has a small dark patch in the shape of a star behind her left ear – f) & Eevee (also known as Ciro, has a pale streak on the top of his head – m)._

  * _Nile Freeman – native of Guard Town, cousin of Lykon, third gym leader, owner of plant shop. Youngest of the group. Lives with her mother and next door to Booker. Expert at growing Berry plants and which combinations are best for snacks._

    * _Main team is Bellosom (f), Deerling (f), Meganium (m), Seedot (m), Skiddo (f) & Tropius (f). _

  * _Quynh Ngo – native of Kalta Town, fifth gym leader,_ _co-owner of the Guard Town battle caf_ _é_ _._ _Second oldest of the group, grew up at the foot of Moon Peak. The only one of the group to have visited all the currently known Pokémon regions. Favours fighting Pokémon._

    * _Main team is Drapion (f), Mienshao (f), Lucario (f), Medicham (f), Pangoro (m) & Hitmonchan (f)._

  * _Sébastien 'Booker' Lelivre – native of Rotre Valley, first gym leader, miner. Husband & father. Has a lab where he studies Pokémon fossils in order to better understand the region's history, sells the various treasures he finds while mining. Will extract DNA from fossils if asked. _

    * _Main team is Diglett (m), Marowak (f), Cubone (m), Rhydon (f), Excadrill (m) & Onix (m)._

  * _Yusuf 'Joe' al-Kaysani – native of Kalsei Town but moved to Fiorto City as a child, childhood rival & husband of Nico, joint fourth gym leader. Semi-professional Eevee breeder. Is currently conducting research into new evolutionary lines for Eevees, using various nurturing factors. _

    * _Main team is_ _Espeon (f), Flareon (f), Jolteon (m), Sylveon (f), Eevee (also known as Dusty, has paler fur than the other Eevees in his pack – m) & Eevee (also known as Luna, has a small pale patch in the shape of a cresent moon behind her right ear – f)._




  
  


_**Where is this fic set?** _

_I made up an entirely original region for this fic, called Johmia._

_This region is small and is populated by Pok_ _é_ _mon from the canon regions purely because I am lazy and I love the pre-existing Pok_ _é_ _mon from the games._

_Here I present to you some maps I drew in Paint, to help you visualise the geography of the region ( but also so I could have a reference for later );_

Figure 1; map of the Johmia Region.

Figure 2; map of Guard Town ( Old Guard Town to the south, New Guard Town to the north ).

_Alodale is the smallest populated place in the region; it's a village which is also the starting point for Route 1. The region's biggest populated place ( and main city ) is Fiorto City, which has a department store and takes orders from the other towns and cities for many products – they're all delivered by a fleet of Delibirds._

_Bluset Port allows access to other regions via ships, and has a thriving market with goods from other places._

_Holon Island ( and the various surrounding mini islands ) make up the Wild Area for the region. Rare Pok é mon and those with unusual markings / colourings ( 'shinies' in the games ) can be found more often here._

_Guard Town is the home of the Elite Seven gym challenge. It is split into two halves; Old Guard Town, the historical half where Nile's store and Booker's lab are located, and New Guard Town where the gym, the battle caf é and the Pok écentre are._

_There are various cycle routes, Monorail tracks and Flying Taxis as travelling options between places, if walking the routes is not favourable._

  
  


_**About this fic.** _

_I randomised a lot of the elements for this fic, including the genders of all the Pok é mon, which Eeveelutions Joe and Nico would have, and the order of the Elite Seven challenges._

_This is very self-indulgent._

_I've made up things or disregarded several elements from the canon, and I will not be taking criticisms for this. It's my AU, and I make the rules :)_

_I'm still thinking about many of the elements in this fic, including the natures of the Pok é mon; the only natures I have at the moment are for Umbreon (quiet), Espeon (gentle), Stella (bold), Ciro (hasty), Luna (impish) and Dusty (hardy)._

_Bear with me a little longer, and I'll update these notes as I go along :)_

_With thanks to ravynwytch and Shay for their help input & patience! _

_**Planned future one-shots;** _

  * _Childhood adventures._

  * _Battle scenes?_




_( Suggestions are very welcome )._


	2. Chapter One ( Joe & Nico )

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Joe & Nico visit friends.

Every resident of Guard Town – both the rural Old half and the metropolitan New half – is asleep, bar one restless soul.

Nicolò di Genova, joint leader of the Guard Town gym, lies awake in the dark with an unquiet mind and a concerned heart, thinking about the recent spate of stolen Pokémon across the Johmia region, which has left many young trainers too afraid to travel too far with their newly captured friends – thus leading to a sharp decrease in challengers for the ultimate gym challenge he shares with his soulmate ( and childhood rival ), Joe, along with the five other trainers who currently make up the region's elite seven.

Said soulmate is currently sleeping beside him, snoring gently in Nico's ear as one heavy arm pins the shorter man in place in their bed, the other tucked under his own head. Everything is abruptly too warm and far too overwhelming, so, with a soft sigh, Nico carefully untangles himself from Joe's grasp, smoothing a gentle hand over the other man's curls when a small frown of discontentment threatens to disturb his sleep.

Slipping out from under the sheets is easier after that, and it is with silent feet that Nico pads into the kitchen to heat himself some Moomoo Milk. He fully intends to read once he has his steaming mug, but finds any thoughts of literature disappear from his mind as he turns, catching sight of their most faithful companions, the Umbreon and Espeon they've had from tiny Eevees, curled into one another in a patch of moonlight that enters from the window in their living room. The two Pokémon, seemingly complete opposites, fit together as well as their trainers; like puzzle pieces, one of their friends had once commented.

They complement one another almost perfectly, and it always makes his heart so much lighter to witness.

He settles quietly on the couch in the dark so as not to disturb them, curling up with his feet under his body and his hands wrapped around his mug as he continues to watch the pair of them breathe in tandem. Is this how he and Joe look to them, he wonders? Have they had such an influence on their Pokémon? He's heard of such relationships before, has witnessed something similar in some of their friends' Pokémon, but not quite to this extent.

Nico is startled from his thoughts by a soft snuffling noise, his eyes immediately turning toward the stairs in the expectations of seeing Joe's sleepy form there, but there's nobody there and no light from their bedroom. The snuffling comes again, closer this time, and he glances back toward the Pokémon to find Espeon only feet away, watching him intently with her head cocked to the side. “I know, I should be asleep,” he tells her, feeling slightly ridiculous for feeling like he has to justify himself to a Pokémon ( and a psychic one at that ), “don't tell Joe and I'll bake you spicy Poffins later.”

She comes a little closer on silent paws in response, presumably searching for the promised Poffins as she sniffs at his mug for a second before laying her head on his knee. Regarding him steadily with her silvery eyes, as if she knows that he needs comfort but doesn't want to wake Joe, she makes a quiet purring noise that causes his body to relax almost immediately. He can feel the vibrations of her body as her head seems to get heavier in his lap, his fingers brushing through her fur as they brushed through her trainer's curls not even fifteen minutes previously. His eyes already feel heavier, closing for a second before he blinks and makes the sensible decision to set his mug safely aside.

It seems to be all the invitation Espeon needs; as soon as the mug is safe and out of Nico's hands, she climbs up onto the couch and curls up beside him, her head back in his lap so he can rub his fingertips into the soft fur between her ears in just the right way that has her eyes closing in pleasure, her purring ramping up a couple of notches.

\-----

Joe wakes in the morning to find their bed cold and empty beside him, a short stab of alarm causing him to sit up with a jolt. “Nico?” He calls out, ears straining to catch any kind of noise in their house immediately afterwards. “Nico?” Alarmed by the lack of response, the man pushes himself from their bed, pausing long enough only to check in on their current pack of Eevees ( still asleep ) and to grab a t-shirt ( his? Nico's? Does it really matter? ) to pull over his head before he's heading for the stairs.

The sight that greets him downstairs halts him in his tracks, a relieved smile curling his lips upward; Nico is curled around Espeon on the couch, his mug of Moomoo Milk room-temperature and utterly forgotten on the side table, his face pressed into the fur of her neck as his Umbreon slumbers on below, face turned toward the pair on the couch.

“Nico,” Joe really hates to disturb the other man when he's sleeping, but needs must and besides, something that needs their attention is bound to happen sooner or later. “ _Nicolò_ ,” he tries again when Nico doesn't respond, and shaking him gently only elicits an unhappy moan from the still stubbornly unconscious man who burrows his face further into Espeon's fur in an attempt to stay asleep. “Nico, I'm making coffee after I put food out for the Pokémon. If you don't wake up, you can't have any.”

Both Pokémon are suddenly very much awake, yawning and stretching in tandem as Nico cracks one eye open, regarding Joe almost _defiantly_ for a second before he sighs and relinquishes his hold on Espeon. “I could always make my own coffee later,” he murmurs, rolling onto his back when the couch is vacated and waffling his hands across his stomach. “You could,” Joe agrees easily, reaching down to pet Espeon when she headbutts against his leg affectionately, “but I could also make you coffee now, and we could nap later on if you're still tired.”

Nico's eyes open again, his hand extended to offer his watchful Umbreon the same kind of affection Espeon is receiving, and Joe notes that their considering expressions are almost exactly alike. “Do we have plans for today?” There's a note of worry somewhere deep down in the question, an unspoken _what have I forgotten?_ that causes a brief spark of guilt to stab between Joe's ribs. Nico's worry is echoed in Umbreon's soft chirp as he moves forward, briefly nuzzling into his trainer's open palm before moving a few feet away to watch them all from a shirt distance, ever the warier of the two Pokémon.

“No, we don't have plans,” Joe answers, finally moving to sit on the couch beside Nico, though there's a short scuffle when the shorter man won't move his legs to make space ( they eventually settle with Nico's feet in Joe's lap, the Pokémon resigning themselves to waiting just a little longer for food ), “but I thought we might go to Nile's later and get some Berry saplings.” They'd especially discussed buying some Pinap Berries ( Joe's favourite ) last week, the intention being to make juice, PokéBlocks, Poffins and other foodstuffs for both humans and Pokémon alike from Berries they'd grown in their own garden.

“That's a good idea,” Nico hums, “we should really take the Eevees to Lykon, too, so he can check they're growing properly.” One of the Eevees – lovingly nicknamed Stella for the tiny star of white on the back of her left ear – was significantly smaller than the other three, but was twice as fierce to make up for her size. Nico had no doubt that she'd grow up to be an incredible force to be reckoned with in time. “And if we're going to visit Nile and Lykon, we could visit Booker at the same time,” comes his next suggestion, his toes wiggling as Joe rubs at his ankles, “he was working on identifying that fossil we found out on Route 8.”

“If we're going to visit Nile, Lykon and Booker, we might as well visit _all_ our friends so that nobody feels left out,” Joe rolls his eyes, already hearing the voices of Andromache and Quynh in his ears, demanding to know why they hadn't been a part of the day's itinerary.

“Just as long as you don't challenge Andromache to another battle to prove a point just as we're about to leave again, my heart.” Nico stretches out, a playful smile on his lips as he raises his eyebrows at Joe, waiting for the inevitable-

“She _baited_ me into that and left me no room to refuse!”

“You're very predictable, Joe.”

“Predictable?” The growl is all the warning Nico gets before he's dumped on the floor, Joe flopping down to straddle his waist a second later. “Was _that_ predictable?” The man demands after leaning down to press a long kiss against the pale forehead below, and Nico just grins upward in response, his hands moving up to bracket Joe's hips.

Of course, once they're on the floor, the Pokémon are practically _obligated_ to join them, Espeon's excited chirping as she attempts to leap on Joe almost drowning out the sounds of tiny paws scrabbling down the stairs that precedes the appearance of their current Eevee hoard.

Chaos reigns for a couple of minutes as everybody is fussed over, Umbreon settling on the empty couch to wait it all out with a grumbling sigh, but he is just as attentive to the Eevees as the two men on the floor – with his vantage point, perhaps even more so, since he manages to save the tiniest of the four from getting trampled on.

“It's breakfast time,” Joe announces when Umbreon has to step in for a third time, his voice firm as he scoops up the Eevee closest to him, who seems to be insistent on chewing his toes off – hence the breakfast declaration. They regard each other seriously for a moment, man and Pokémon, before she bites his nose with a happy noise and settles into his arms. “You, my little Luna, are a troublemaker.” In his gentle chiding ( which... is completely and utterly ineffective, if he's very honest with himself ), he completely misses the besotted look Nico levels in his direction as the shorter of the two men reclaims the tiniest of their Eevee pack from his Umbreon, rubbing gently between her ears when she squeaks up at him.

\-----

The house is a flurry of activity after they eat, Nico wrangling the Eevees into their Pokéballs – it's never a good idea to leave them alone in the house, young and excitable as they are – and Joe checking their rucksacks to be sure they have adequate supplies to be venturing around outside. “We're going to need more potions, I think,” he calls, “we only have six left.”

“I added them to the list on Tuesday,” Nico answers, appearing with two Pokéballs in each hand. Joe takes his and attaches them to his belt, adding a couple more empty balls to his rucksack, “we can pick some up when we see Lykon at the Pokécenter, and some more of those herbs we tried before at Nile's.” Plans made, rucksacks packed and their most loyal Pokémon by their sides, the two of them set out to visit their friends in the historical half of Guard Town.

It's quiet outside, many people preferring to relax in their own homes or gardens while the threat of stolen Pokémon still looms over them, but it still takes them a good half an hour to get across the town since they stop to talk to neighbours and travellers along the way. When they reach Nile's shop, she's outside with a watering can, chatting cheerfully with a little boy who is tentatively petting her Deerling. She looks up as the two of them approach, Espeon surging forward to greet the trio as enthusiastically as ever, “Oh, hey! Look who _finally_ came to visit.”

“We saw you only a couple of days ago, for that challenger from Alodale,” Nico tells her with a fond shake of his head as Joe crouches to speak to the boy, one hand resting on Espeon's flank to still her. Umbreon makes a quiet grumbling noise beside him, brushing against his leg before moving a short distance away to sniff interestedly at a nearby potted plant. “We came to buy some herbs and some new Berry plants from you,” Nico begins with amusement in his eyes as he watches his faithful companion explore, “I think that might have to include that plant, since it smells so interesting.”

Nile lights up at the opening to talk about the plants, grabbing her friend's hand to show him the newer shrubs the shop offers and explain how the Berries will grow best for each of them. It turns out that the plant Umbreon had taken such a strong interest in is a Lum plant, the pale leaves just beginning to curl over on themselves. “It's slow-growing,” Nile explains, “but the Berries are really good for Pokémon. Wait here-” She hurries inside the store, coming back with a handful of green Berries, each of them almost an inch and a half in diameter, and drops them into Nico's cupped palms.

“Try one,” Nile encourages, taking one to pop into her own mouth as an example. It's crunchy, he can hear that immediately, and when he bites into his own, the flavour that explodes across his tongue is a good mixture of something between sweet and bitter – he thinks of how nice it might taste in juice as he chews, crouching to offer a Berry to Umbreon, who takes It from his hand carefully and eats with as much enthusiasm as he'd been sniffing around the leaves. “I think that's a sign that our garden needs a Lum plant,” Nico smiles as he stands again, and the two of them spend the next fifteen minutes watching Umbreon choose more plants.

\-----

“Nico?” Joe calls from outside as Nico and Nile are negotiating over the price of the plants and the subsequent delivery for later on in the day, “do you have a trainer card with you?” He's still outside with the kid, who is looking decidedly more comfortable with the Pokémon by now, petting Espeon when she noses around him and offering the Deerling Berries from his hand. “Give me a second, love,” Nico calls back, sharing a quick glance with Nile as he scrabbles in the front pocket of his rucksack for the handful of cards he always keeps on hand. “Thank you, Nile. We'll definitely be home after six unless there's an emergency, but we'll send you a message if anything happens.”

Everything settled and paid for, the two friends walk back out into the sunshine to reunite with Joe and the boy. “Hey, Leon!” Nile smiles brightly, “looks like you made some friends out here.” Leon's smile has a couple of gaps in it as he reaches to take the card Nico offers him, pulling Joe's out of his pocket to admire them side by side. Joe stands when Leon appears to be well and truly distracted, ruffling the boy's hair before rejoining Nico with a smile, a small kiss brushed against his cheek, “What kind of plants did you find for the garden?”

\-----

Lykon is waiting for them behind the counter at the Pokécentre when they arrive. Despite being a member of the Elite Seven, he somehow manages to find a lot of free time to volunteer here, helping mostly in the back with the menial, every day tasks and the distressed Pokémon ( and also, occasionally, their trainers too ). He greets Nico and Joe with a broad smile and rounds the counter to catch them both up in a tight embrace, before crouching to greet their companions equally as enthusiastically – and they both greet him just as happily, having known the man since they'd hatched. “Umbreon looks happy today,” their friend comments as he stands again, gesturing to both men to follow him behind the counter and into an examination room. “We were at Nile's before this,” Nico explains, “he chose a load of plants for our garden and because he was so interested in a Lum bush, Nile gave us some Berries to try.”

“That would make anybody happy, I think,” comes Lykon's laughing response as he closes the door behind their small group. “Alright, unleash the pack.” Releasing all four Eevees from their Pokéballs at once would be absolute chaos, so Joe goes first, releasing Luna and her brother, Dusty, into the room. The two of them immediately separate in different directions, Dusty moving to affectionately greet Espeon, and Luna to attack Lykon's shoelaces with the same energy she'd shown earlier while they were all wrestling on the floor at home. “ _Luna_ ,” Joe immediately swoops in to save their friend's shoe from her gnawing, placing her carefully on the examination table as he frowns at her antics, “what's gotten into you today?” Her only response is a cheerful-sounding squeak before she decides to chew on his fingers instead, which he allows _only_ because it's better than her chewing on something else.

Lykon only smiles fondly at them both before beginning to conduct his checks, weighing and measuring and looking in Luna's ears before rubbing her fur until she's vibrating with happiness under his fingertips. “She's perfectly healthy, Joe, growing well.” It's not a surprise, really, but Nico watches Joe's shoulders lose a little of their tension as he trades Luna for Dusty ( Nico holds onto her for the safety of everything in the room that is at her height ). Thankfully, the paler Eevee is a little less rambunctious than his sister, and his examination passes without incident, though Lykon pauses for a second when his fingers find a patch of skin on Dusty's left side that elicits a whine when brushed against. “What happened here?”

Nico can see the absolute heartbreak in Joe's eyes at that sound, the guilt that comes with the memories of watching his Pokémon get injured and the worry that it would affect the bond between trainer and Eevee. He watches Joe offer Dusty comfort in the form of his hand, watches as the furry head is pushed into the palm he knows is warm and soft and perfect to soothe away the aches of battle ( he's experienced the comfort Joe's hands can offer, too ).

“We had a run-in with a Spearow a couple of days ago,” Joe says quietly with the twist of his lips that clearly says he's upset and trying to play it off. Even Luna is uncharacteristically still and quiet from her position in Nico's arms, her eyes wide and watchful as Joe's emotions seem to fill the room. “I gave him medicine in the field and I thought he'd healed up already because he hasn't shown any signs of being hurt still.” Espeon is suddenly winding herself around his legs with small noises that are almost comparable to purrs, rubbing her head against his knees much like he's rubbing Dusty's fur.

“I have something from Merrick Industries here to help with that, actually.” Lykon turns away for a second, rifling through a nearby cabinet for a cardboard box emblazoned with the Merrick Industries label, which is packed full of clear spray bottles containing a pale green liquid. Taking one of the bottles, he hands it to Joe with a gentle smile and a hand on the younger man's shoulder. “It's made with a specific blend of Berries and herbs, apparently. Spray it onto the affected area twice a day for a week, and it should clear right up without scarring.” Joe nods his understanding, taking the bottle to slip into his rucksack before encouraging both Eevees back into their Pokéballs before meeting Nico's eye as Lykon busies himself with putting the box back so he can pretend like he's not watching on.

There's an entire conversation in that shared look, and whatever isn't said makes Joe's lips quirk upward into a small smile after a couple of heartbeats. It lightens the mood of the room again, relaxes the two men and their companions before Nico releases his pair of Eevees into the room – thankfully, they cause less chaos between them than Luna manages to, so it doesn't really take both Joe and Nico to watch them. Joe is, therefore, free to sit on a chair in the corner of the examination room with Espeon and Umbreon flanking him from both sides like the stone effigies that sit outside their respective challenge rooms at their gym.

Ciro is first onto the table as Stella sticks by Nico's feet, and practically tumbles onto the weighing pad after tripping over his paws as he speeds toward where Lykon is resetting the instruments. “There's no rush,” the man tells him, setting him gently back on his feet even as they regard each other with matching solemn expressions for a moment, “sometimes slower is better, no?” Ciro somehow manages to look utterly unconvinced as he tips his head to the side, but he puts up no resistance as he's handled carefully through the various tests before being given a clean bill of health.

“She's still pretty small compared to other Eevees of her age,” Lykon comments, to nobody's surprise, “but she's certainly not shy about it.” Shy is the one thing Stella has never been; Nico finds that she's probably the most adventurous of his current Pokémon team, and if there's something or somewhere to be explored, she's usually ready to investigate thoroughly.

It's astounding sometimes to witness the differences between the four Eevees, and really all their Pokémon, to note the ways in which their natures affect their growth and developments.

“I kept her on the diet you recommended last time we came, and we've been monitoring her growth from week to week., Nico mentions, idly tapping his fingers against the metal tabletop, “she can definitely hold her own in battle and out of it, so I'm not too worried about her size still. Besides, Leafeon was smaller than his pack too, and he's grown into the average weight class for his age.” It just happens that Pokémon, like people, are often different sizes and weights, just as they have different temperaments. It's normal.

“She's perfectly fine,” Lykon announces after examining the insides of Stella's ears. “You know, you two could go into business as professional Eevee breeders, if you ever wanted a break from the gym.” It's a tease – they both love the gym and their teams far too much to give it all up for good – but there's a note of truth in there too. Joe and Nico are practically experts in Evees and their evolutionary lines by this point in their lives, and deservedly so; they both caught Eevees as their first Pokémon, have worked out how best to raise them and how best to train them into the strong teammates that join them in battle today.

They're even researching potential new evolutionary lines, constantly trying new factors to see if they'll get different results during the evolution process, but they haven't had much success just yet.

“Maybe in a few years, when the next generation of trainers discovers something to absolutely flatten our teams in the challenges,” Joe smiles, standing to cross the room and take Nico's hand in his own to squeeze when his other half's pair of Eevees are safely encapsulated in their Pokéballs once more. “I suppose when you retire from the gym, you'll spend all your time here. You practically live here as it is.” Before they can really get into the familiar lines of old teasing, Nico leans over to press a kiss against Joe's cheek, with a murmured, “we should get going if we want to squeeze everybody's visits in, my love.”

Thanking their smiling friend for his time, they set out back into the warm afternoon sunshine together, hand in hand and with their loyal companions at their sides, ready to face whatever will greet them next on their journey.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here goes another fic!
> 
> This one will be in a series of connected one-shots.
> 
> I'm taking a small break from my college au fic while the writing spoons for that are in the dishwasher.
> 
> I hope you enjoy :)


End file.
